LIFT Annual Report 2015: Creating A Better Way | Page 16

Bringing Home Baby.
“Being a mother has been such a beautiful journey thus far.
I’m experiencing things I’ve never felt before. It makes me
thankful for every moment we have with Brianna.”
At LIFT, we help families face the hardships of
poverty head-on. The story of Katherinne, Jose
Ivan, and their baby daughter Brianna Elizabeth
exemplifies the power of supporting parents of
young children.
A dream deferred
When Katherinne and Jose Ivan first came to LIFT,
the two were in a desperate situation. Katherinne
was pregnant and she and her husband were
anxiously seeking safe housing. At the time, they
were living out of their car and often went days
without eating. The life they had envisioned for
themselves seemed to be a distant dream.
Katherinne and Jose met when they were just
16. Katherinne says it was love at first sight.
Together, the couple immigrated to the U.S. from
El Salvador hoping to find better opportunities for
themselves and the family they hoped to start one
day. However after they arrived they were met with
obstacle after obstacle and quickly they sunk into
poverty.
Coming together for a Member
When a woman lives in poverty during pregnancy,
the stressors can adversely affect the health of her
child. Lifetime learning, behavior, and well-being
are all in jeopardy, so it is vital to get support as
early as possible.

banded together to help pay the down payment for
a new car.
A brighter future for baby Brianna
A few months after Jose and Katherinne began
working with LIFT, baby Brianna Elizabeth was
born, weighing 6 pounds and 7 ounces. Her
parents were so moved by the help they received
from LIFT that they gave the baby the same
middle name – Elizabeth – as their Advocate
Christina Elizabeth.
You can’t help but smile when you watch
Katherinne and Jose admire their precious baby
daughter. “Being a mother has been such a
beautiful journey thus far. I’m experiencing things
I’ve never felt before. It makes me thankful for
every moment we have with Brianna.” And like
every parent, Katherinne and Jose want the best
future they can give to little Brianna. “I want for
her to study hard a